Tea is the most consumed drink worldwide due to its pleasant taste and various beneficial effects on human health. This paper assesses the physicochemical analysis of different varieties of tea (leaves, flowers, and instant) after prior drying and fine grinding. The thermal decomposition behavior of the tea components shows that the tea has three stages of decomposition, depending on temperature. The first stage was attributed to the volatilization of water, while the second stage involved the degradation of volatiles, polyphenols, and fatty acids. The degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content occurs at the highest temperature of 400 °C in the third stage. A total of 66 volatile compounds, divided into eight classes, were identified in the tea samples. The volatile compounds were classified into nine odor classes: floral, fruity, green, sweet, chemical, woody, citrus, roasted, and alcohol. In all flower and leaf tea samples, monounsaturated (MUFAs), polyunsaturated (PUFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were identified. A high content of omega-6 was quantified in acacia, Saint John's Wort, rose, and yarrow, while omega-3 was found in mint, Saint John's Wort, green, blueberry, and lavender samples. The flower and leaf tea samples studied could be a good dietary source of polyphenolic compounds, essential elements. In instant tea samples, a low quantity of polyphenols and major elements were identified. The physicochemical analysis demonstrated that both flower and leaf teas have high-quality properties when compared to instant tea.
Keywords: cellulose; fatty acids; lignin; minerals; tea; thermal behavior; volatile organic compounds.